The Yellow Brick Road to the West End
by Fox Teen
Summary: Sophia Marvin has everything it takes to play Dorothy Gale in her school production of The Wizard of Oz, but her idiotic drama teacher refuses t go ver a chance to audition because she is freckle-faced. But after recording herself singing over the Rainbow and putting it on YouTube, she is unaware that THAT would start her fame - on the West End.


Sophia Marvin sat in class to boring Maths. She hated this subject to bits.

_Ding-Dang-Ding-Dong._

Good morning, boys and girls, rand the principals' voice from the speaker. I ring for your attention. Mrs. Gargin had decided on the summer production. We proudly present _The Wizard of Oz_. Auditions for Dorothy is today. On Monday we hold auditions for Glinda and the Wicked Witch.

Sophia couldn't believe what she had just heard. _The Wizard of Oz_ was the best movie she had ever watched. She had everything it took to be Dorothy: being frightened when it comes to the Witch, and being full of happiness when with her friends. Se had sung _Over the Rainbow_ many times when she was young. She always sung it to her baby brother as a lullaby. She even watched the BBC show _Over the Rainbow_. She was over the moon when Danielle Hope won the role.

She didn't need the script. She knew all the lines by heart – even the lines from the MUNY version.

Before the end of school, Sophia was in the audition hall. She entered the stage looking forward to show Mrs. Gargin her talent.

"Dorothy hasn't really got freckles has she?" she said.

"But I know the character," said Sophia. "Please, you might like my performance In spite of me having freckles. "

"Nope," said Mrs. Gargin "You're not Dorothy. You got freckles."

"But will you please give me a chance?"  
"Better luck next time," said Mrs. Gargin.

Sophia walked out of the theatre so full of grief.

Sophia sat on the bench next to the park when she got home. Her friend Nellie came up to her.

"I'm so sorry."

"Mrs. Gargin is the worst drama teacher ever," said Sophia close to tears.

"You are still Dorothy inside," said Nellie. "You always will be. How about I film you singing _Over the Rainbow _and put it on YouTube?"

Nellie was as very successful YouTube star. Many random funny or cute videos were what she made, but they still received very positive hits.

And it was set to work. As soon it was on YouTube, it was already to a million views. Comments said things like _You ought to be Dorothy_, and _People who don't _see as Dorothy have no life.

The next Monday morning, Sophia received an announcement that she was to report to the headmistresses' office.

When she got there the headmistress was sitting on her desk. Next to here was a tall middle-aged man.

"Sophia," said Miss Frindin. "This gentleman is Mr. Harry Garvinall."

"I'll explain," he said politely. "Hello, Sophia. I watched the video of you singing Over the Rainbow. We are doing a West End production of _The Wizard of Oz_ and I showed the video to the judges and they loved it. So they asked if you could travel all the way to London to audition for Dorothy."

"Is this a joke?" laughed Sophia. When he shook his head, she said, "This sounds so good to be true."

"Another hint you could be officially the Dorothy we're looking for," said Mr. Garvinall. "The same excitement."

Her parents were more than proud.

She waited outside the room where many other girls were waiting to see if they suit Dorothy. Many of them wished each other he best of luck and hugging each other. They were the same with Sophia. School was full of egotists. Clare Frank won the role of Nancy in a school production of Oliver!. She bragged on about it, but made a fool of herself. She couldn't act and she couldn't sing a note.

"Good luck, babe."

"Break a leg, sweetheart."

"Show them what you've got, love."

Those kind words still carried on. Sophia waited for hours until she was finally called in.

The room was big. It was empty except for a table in the middle with three judges on the table. Their names in front of them said Keith, Greta and Nathan. Mr. Garvinall stood on the left and on the right stood the director.

"Hello, love," said Greta smiling most welcomingly.

"Hello," said Sophia softly.

"What's your name?" asked Keith.

"Sophia Marvin."

"How old are you?" asked Nathan.

"Sixteen."

"Tell me, Sophia," said the director. "Do you think you have what it takes to be Dorothy?"

"Yes indeed," said Sophia. "I've watched the movie many times and I have watched every production such as the MUNY version and Andrew Lloyd Webber's version that was released only a few years back."

"An unnecessary question," said Greta. "Can you name me the one song form the MUNY version never used or written in the movie?"

"Evening Star," said Sophia.

The judges were impressed by her knowledge.

"First," said Keith. "We want you to sing Over the Rainbow."

The music began and without hesitation, Sophia began with _When all the world is a hopeless jumble and the raindrops tumble all around…_

Greta was in tears from her voice.

"Now_," _said the director. I am going to read out some lines and I want you ay Dorothy's lines with you being Dorothy.

So they started of with scene in which Dorothy tries to tell her aunt and uncle about Miss Gulch's threat, then the scene when Dorothy meets the Scarecrow and so on.

"Now," said Nathan. "This woman here," he pointed at a middle-aged woman in the corner, "this is Rhianna Grownin. She has been cast as the Wicked Witch. She will be saying her lines to you, and I want to feel and look as frightened as possible."

"_I'll_ get you my pretty," said Rhianna in a horrible nightmarish voice, "and your little dog too!" and she ended her line with a real terrifying cackle. Sophia felt she was working with Margaret Hamilton.

Everyone applauded.

"Rhianna," said Keith "will also be playing Miss Gulch. "Now I want you to look and act frightened and angry at the same time"

"That dog is a menace to the community," said Rhianna in a severe posh voice. "I'm taking that animal to the Sheriff to make sure he's destroyed."  
"Oh, I won't you take him!" said Sophia worriedly but then turned to anger. "You go away or I'll bite your myself, you wicked old witch!"

"Well done, Sophia!" said the director. "You looked so terrified there. I was very proud of your wide eyes and how you pretended to clutch Toto tight."

"It's actually Rhianna's acting that helped me," said Sophia. "Her performance was so frightening, I felt same way Dorothy did."

"That's you done then," said Greta.

"But…" said the director. "You're the only one left right?"

Sophia nodded.

He and Mr. Garvinall went to the judges and they huddles around each other whispering. Finally, they finished.

"Well," said the director. "Usually when it comes to casting people in West End shows, it takes quite sometime. But for this occasion we are positive with your commitment and relation to the character. Congratulations. You have been accepted for the role of Dorothy."

The words were too good to be true.

Her mother covered face with kisses and tears.

"My baby a West End star!" she sobbed.

"Miss Gargin is going to feel pretty stupid when she hears this," said Sophia.

She had a blast with the cast; the actors for the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion were hilarious, just like their characters. Glinda and Aunt Em's actor, whose name was Annette Grind, was a thirty-two year-old woman. They were already like sisters to each other the instant they met and promptly became friends on Facebook. Underneath all that green make-up, Rhianna was the sweetest, gentlest woman Sophia had met. So nice that Sophia thought she was far too kind to be a witch.

"…And oh, Auntie Em! There's no place like home!"

Everyone applauded when the curtains went down. They screamed and roared with applause when Sophia bowed. She was standing in a whole new world.

Her fame led to her recording _Over the Rainbow_ (as her voice was so beautiful it made many people cry) and many interviews on telly.

Mrs. Gargin looked at the telly miserably at Sophia singing _Over the Rainbow_ live. Her production was a flop: The Dorothy she picked was Clare Frank the terrible actress and couldn't sing, the Witch's actress left all of her lines to the last minute and had to say her lines on stage with a script, and the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, actors also left their lines tot the last minute but all the script copies were gone.

"Consequences of directors always being right," she pouted.

She tried looking for the remote to switch it off but couldn't find it. So she suffered listening to Sophia final lines. _If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh why can't I?_

And suffered more torture for the news she heard. The interviewer said to Sophia,

"_Another director is asking when this is over, how would you like to be Dorothy in his production of The Wiz?"_

"_I will be glad to!" _said Sophia with the audience cheering._ "I went to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz, and soon I shall ease on down the road to meet the Wiz."_


End file.
